Stop Qualifying Yourself

Stop Qualifying Yourself

Colossians 2:16-23

INTRODUCTION

To qualify for the Boston Marathon.

I should be qualified- I won my age division at the Wewoka sorghum Day 5K

26.2 miles in under 3hrs 15 minutes for 40-44 year old men.

That's an average pace of 7:26 per mile.

I ran 3 miles at a 8:45 pace.

I could never qualify for the Boston Marathon by their standards.

We can be guilty of trying to justify our qualifications for salvation and eternal life.

Jesus has set the standards.

Colossians 2:16–23 ESV

16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. 20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

4 Ways Jesus Works in Salvation

1. Jesus Determines Requirement for Salvation (16-17)

Colossians 2:16–17 ESV

16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

"These" = Jewish customs (16)

"works are a shadow"= They are evidence of something greater but by no way equal to it

ILL- getting run over by the shadow of a car- not the same as getting hit by the car.

Here- These things show that there is a right and wrong. But point to the fact we cannot do anything about it on our own. It just shows us we are not perfect, we are sinners.

Substance Belongs to Christ/ not your own merit. (The reality behind the shadow).

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Galatians 2:15–16 ESV

15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

2. Jesus Determines Purpose of Salvation (18-19)

Colossians 2:18–19 ESV

18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

he things that disqualify you

Asceticism (giving up things to prove self to God)

Worship of Angels (being spiritual)

Bragging about Visions (being a person of Revelation- all Revelation is found in God's Word- it is complete and sufficient)

Self Confidence (your mind is evil)

Romans 8:7 ESV

7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

Sermon on the Mount- if you look lustfully/ if you hate/ etc.

Qualified by Only Jesus

It is making Jesus Head= part of the Body of Christ.

"Hold Fast"

Revelation 2:25 ESV

25 Only hold fast what you have until I come.

Revelation 3:11 ESV

11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.

In Ephesians 4 Paul gives a clearer picture of the purpose of the Church with Christ the Head.

Ephesians 4:15–16 ESV

15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

We are Qualified by Jesus being Head. When Jesus is Head we will be part of His Body, the Church. When we are part of the Church, the Church will grow as it is built upon love.

3. Jesus Determines Power of Salvation (20-22)

Colossians 2:20–22 ESV

20 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?

Death to self but life in Christ.

Romans 6:2 ESV

2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Salvation is about what we do, not about what we do not do.

Regulations- define what you should not do.

A changed heart doesn't need regulations because we are about doing the right things.

Power is found in submission, not works.

Galatians 2:20 ESV

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Luke 9:23 ESV

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

When we submit, life will be about bearing Christian fruit, not living under rules and regulations.

Ephesians 2:8–10 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

4. Jesus Determines Change of Salvation (23)

Colossians 2:23 ESV

23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

"appearance of wisdom"= Paul has been arguing all along that these are not helpful. It appears to be wise but it is not.

"self made religion"= more literally= the worship of self. It is a self-imposed ritual that makes a person feel good of themselves but actually serves no spiritual purpose.

"asceticism"= humility but in a negative light- giving something up in order to draw closer to God.

"severity in the body"= a reference to asceticism. - hurting self physically in order to gain spiritually.

This false religious expression do not curb the desires of the flesh because they address the physical, not the spiritual.

Sin is a spiritual problem- physical issues are symptoms of the spirit.

If you are just addressing the physical symptoms you will never overcome sin.

We overcome sin by allowing Christ to remove it from our life- submission to Him.

Focus on the Spiritual- not the Physical (3:1-2)

Colossians 3:1–2 ESV

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

CONCLUSION

We can never qualify ourselves by good works.

Sin separates us from God- we must be reunited with Him before we can be spiritually changed.

Have you addressed your sin spiritually?

What has qualified you for eternal life? (John 3:16)